Agricultural loans are any loans that are availed by a farmer to fund seasonal agricultural operations or related activities like animal farming, pisci-culture or purchase of land or agricultural tools. While seasonal agricultural operations routine activities like include preparing and ploughing land for sowing, weeding, and transplantation where necessary, buying inputs such as fertilizers, seeds, insecticides etc. and engaging labour for cultivating and harvesting the crops.
In addition purchasing of land, or purchasing of agricultural tools, storage of produce and transport also are included under purview of agricultural loans.
The agricultural policy of the Government of India also envisages substantial credit flow to increase agricultural production and productivity. Banks provide agricultural term loans to farmers for investment purposes and Short Term Loans for production purposes. There is a need to finance farmers for purchasing land not only to expand their activities but also to make existing small and marginal units economically viable, diversify their present activities and to bring fallow lands and waste lands under cultivation.
In India, agriculture has been marked as priority sector because farmers constitute a large part of the population. As such agriculture sector qualifies for priority sector lending at lower interest rates by banks. In India, most of the commercial banks, co-op societies and rural banks provide agricultural loans to farmers.
Banks sanction agricultural loans, both long-term and short-term to farmers for agricultural activity. Keeping in view the illiteracy of farmers, the documentation requirement is few. However banks insist on the following documentation for agricultural loans:
Please note that required documents may vary from bank to bank.
Agricultural loans are extended to all types of farmers such as small and marginal farmers, tenant farmer, share croppers and oral lessees.
As per government notification, for crop loans the rate of interest and collateral requirement is as follows:
On crop loans: For 2013-14, as per Govt of India notification, crop loans worth Rs. 3 lakh or below would carry an interest rate of 7% p.a. For those farmers promptly repaying loans, Govt. of India also provide allows interest subvention of 3% p.a-effectively bringing down interest rate to 4% p.a.
Crop Loans beyond Rs. 3 Lakh, banks charge interest rate as approved by RBI and other conditions as approved by their Board of Directors.
As per RBI directive, crop loans till an amount of Rs. 1 lakh require no security. Loans over Rs. 1 lakh may require security as per the lending banks terms and conditions.
Post-harvest: Post-harvest loan is available to farmers at a concessional rate of 7% with interest rate subvention. For farmers availing post-harvest loan against the negotiable warehouse receipts, the banks may charge interest at commercial rates.
For land purchase: Banks extend credit for purchase of land within 5 km of the farmers residence at interest rate as determined from time to time. There is no margin for such loans up to Rs 50,000 and amounts higher than this require a margin of 10%. The land is supposed to mortgaged in favour of the Bank and is considered the security.
With BankBazaar.com loan EMI calculator, anyone willing to apply for an agricultural loans can fill in a few details like agricultural loan amount required, rate of interest and tenure and can know the exact equal monthly instalment to know how much they would be paying for each month. The EMI calculator also lets you know the schedule of repayment of your agricultural loan-i.e how much is paid, what remains to be paid and the total interest paid.
Spearheaded by the Finance Minister - Mr. Arun Jaitley, the 2018-19 Union Budget Meeting was held on 1 February 2018. The meeting emphasised on expenditure, investment, and policy initiatives by the Government to improve the economy of various sectors such as agriculture, health, education, MSME, infrastructure, education, finance, employment, and many more. The Union Budget meeting also focused on how to improve the cash economy of the country.
Yes, banks do extend loans to farmers for purchasing lands. However, banks usually finance purchase of land within a radius of 3 to 5 Kms of their residence or within village boundary.
2. Who can apply for such land purchase?Farmers who own less than 2.5 acres of irrigated land or 5 acres of non-irrigated land, i.e-marginal and small farmers-are eligible to buy land by availing a bank loan. Sharecroppers and tenant farmers can also be covered under the scheme.
3. Can loans be availed for purchasing land in the name of women?Yes, it is possible. As per Govt policy women owning land could lead to their empowerment. Hence, purchase of land in women can be financed and preference can be given to women in distress, SHG members and widows etc.
4. What are the other allied activities eligible for agricultural loan?In addition purchasing of land, or purchasing of agricultural tools, storage of produce and transport also are included under purview of agricultural loans.
5. How much agricultural loan can be availed without any security?To encourage institutional borrowing among farmers, banks have relaxed security or collateral for agricultural loans.
As per RBI directive, crop loans till an amount of Rs. 1 lakh require no security. Loans over Rs. 1 lakh may require security as per the lending banks terms and conditions.
Similarly, there is no margin for loans for purchase of land up to Rs 50,000 and amounts higher than this require a margin of 10%. The land is supposed to mortgaged in favour of the Bank and is considered the security.
A GST rate of 18% will be applicable on banking services and products from 01 July, 2017.
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The Odisha government has come up with the Krushak Assistance for Livelihood and Income Augmentation Scheme (KALIA Scheme). The scheme is designed to benefit around 92% of the farmers in Odisha. An amount of Rs.10,180 crore has been earmarked by the government for KALIA in three years. The scheme is expected to offer livelihood, financial support and cultivation support in addition to providing insurance supports to marginal, small and landless farmers. All marginal and small farmers as well as landless agricultural households, landless agricultural labourers, actual cultivators/sharecroppers and vulnerable agricultural households are eligible for KALIA. Small farmers are those who own between 2.5 and 5 acres of arable land, while marginal farmers are considered as those who possess under 2.5 acres of arable land. The benefits offered to cultivators under the KALIA scheme is Rs.25,000 per farm per family over 5 seasons to help them in the purchase of fertilisers, seeds, pesticides, etc. Landless agricultural households can avail financial assistance to the tune of Rs.12,500 for allied activities like small layer poultry units, fishery kits for fishermen, bee-keeping, duckery units, etc.
10 January 2019
According to the State Level Bankers Committee in Gujarat, the agricultural loans have increased to almost 11% in comparison to last year. The loan amount have risen considerably from Rs. 62,081 crores in June last year to an extra addition of around Rs. 7000. Convenor of SLBC Vikramaditya Singh Khichdi said that there is higher chance of rise in the agricultural loans in the last quarter of this year because of the onset of monsoons in July. He also added that with the aid of these loans, the farmers can buy lot of agricultural equipment and other instruments useful in the construction of agriculture infrastructure. This year, Gujarat has seen less rain than before which amounts to about 18% rainfall deficit. But, this has not stopped the farmers to take more loans and cover additional areas as far as sowing of Kharif crops is concerned. The agricultural department revealed that the total area covered has increased from Rs. 85.04 lakh hectare to Rs.86.23 lakh hectare this year.
3 October 2016
Crop loans that are outstanding as on 30th June 2016 will be waived in Tamil Nadu. Chief Minister Jayalalithaa had made the promise to waive these loans during the Assembly Election 2016. A function was held at the Maravankudieruppu Primary Agriculture Cooperative Society. The certificates of the waiver to small and marginal farmers were distributed at the event. Rs.2.20 crore of loans were already waived at the PACS. Farmers who had availed crop loans for short and medium terms stand to benefit. The estimated figure of farmers that will benefit from this waiver is 78,669. The total loan amount including interest that will be waived amounts to around Rs.251 crore.
12 September 2016
In a move that will make it easier for farmers to get crop loans, agriculture minister, Radha Mohan Singh, has instructed banks to take all necessary measures to streamline and simplify the process of loan approval, so that funds can be provided to farmers in a timely manner. He has also urged banks to make the loan availing process Ëœhassle-free by systematizing the documentation process and connecting the mobile banking, Andhra and Jan Dhan. For the current financial year, the government has increased the agricultural credit target from Rs 8.5 lakh crore (2015-2016) to Rs 9 lakh crore. Additionally, farmers can also avail short term loans up to the amount of Rs 3 lakh at a subsidized rate of 7% for a tenure of 1 year. Farmers who repay the loan in a timely manner will be allowed a further subvention of 3 %.
19 July 2016
The Maharashtra state government has effectively scrapped the requirement for obtaining a no objection certificate (NOC) from societies and banks before applying for a fresh crop loan. The move is likely to benefit the larger farmer community in general. Furthermore, the government has done away with stamp duty paid by farmers on mortgage while applying for crop loan. The new schemes have been launched starting from Kelapur Tehsil in Wagda Village from 17th May onwards and more areas will be covered in the coming days. The Bank of Maharashtra and Maharashtra Cooperative Bank have received instruction regarding the same.
20 May 2016
The Odisha Government has decided to disburse Rs. 6,000 crore as cooperative loans to farmers for the kharif season. Cooperation secretary Manoj Ahuja wants farmer members of primary agriculture credit cooperative societies (PACS) to receive timely, adequate and hassle-free credit during the 2016 kharif season. Loan targets will be assigned to commercial and regional rural banks at the state-level bankers committee meeting soon. Targets have also been fixed for each district. Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana, a new crop insurance scheme, will also be implemented this year.
18 April 2016
The regional office of the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) has officially sanctioned loans worth Rs 8,800 crores in Odisha as state government loans, direct loans and refinance support to banks for the year 2015-2016. A statement released by the regional office, highlighted that Odisha has always been among the biggest beneficiaries of RIDF of NABARD, wherein loans are given to the state government for the setting up and improvement of important and critical rural infrastructure projects such as irrigation, bridges, roads and much more.
12 April 2016
The union budget presented on Wednesday, chiefly underscored 10 main areas of development namely, agriculture, rural sector, youth, healthcare for poor and underprivileged, demonetization, infrastructure, speedy accountability, public services, fiscal management and tax administration. The Finance minister assured that demonetization will have a positive impact on the economy and the lives of people as a whole. Furthermore, it will result in increased GDP. According to the new budget plan, the fund allocation for NABARD will be increased to Rs.40,000 crores. The change in income tax rate will reduce the tax liability of the working population. As per the revised rates, people with annual income between Rs.2.5 to Rs.5 lakh will have to pay only 5% towards income tax.
3 February 2016
Nabard- the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development has prepared its annual credit plan for Bihar for the financial year 2016-17 after assessing its credit absorption capacity at over Rs. 1 lakh crore. The credit capacity of Bihar for 2016-17 has been assessed for total 38 districts. Based on the states credit potential, Nabard has reserved loan disbursement worth Rs. 61,656 crore which include Rs. 38,191 crore for short-term loans and Rs 23,465 crore for long-term loans. Also, it plans to reserve Rs. 19,084-crore worth of loan for the micro, small and medium enterprise. Likewise, Rs. 6,039 crore would be disbursed for housing sector, Rs. 4,337 crore for infrastructure development, Rs. 3,157 crore for education sector, Rs. 185 crore as export credit and Rs. 429 crore for renewable energy. Besides, the term loan is reserved for Agriculture. The agriculture sector would receive Rs 4,011 crore for dairy activities, Rs. 3,832 crore for farm mechanization, Rs. 2,658 crore for water, Rs. 3,650 crore food processing units and Rs. 3,712 crore for storage facilities.
22 January 2016
Budget 2016-2017 might bring good news for farmers. The Finance Minister recently spoke out about the need for better investment and revamping the incentive structure for farmers considering that the agricultural sector is facing quite a lot of distress. The need to increase productivity by leveraging technology for seeds that are high yielding and efficient utilisation of water is one of the main challenges faced by agriculturists. Mandatory crop insurance was also sought for farmers.
06 January 2016
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